Effects lasting until the end of the encounter, w00t!

[Gloombunny]

They ought to tie some really beneficial effect to "encounter ends". Something like regaining a substantial amount of lost HP, for free. That should take care of most of the quibbling and goofy attempts to prolong the encounter status.

Failing all else, the GM can simply beat those players over the head with a hardcover rulebook until they stop being jackasses. Scene-based durations work just fine in other games, such as Exalted, and there's no reason they can't work in D&D as well.

 

[Shortman McLeod]

I don't think that it will be a big deal, as long as one can equate "encounters" with "scenes".

Just as long as we don't have to start calling DMs "Storytellers".

 

[kinem]

If there are explicit rules for how long things actually last, with 'per-encounter' suggested as a convenient approximation, then I'll be fine with it. Otherwise, it's just dumbed down and half-assed, and would be yet another thing I'd have to fix with house rules if I ever run a 4e game.

 

[Voss]

The DM. Just like he always defined when 5 minutes had passed.

Actually, given the subtext in a lot of previews, I don't think this is true. That door example is closer to the truth. If there is something special about the door (a lock, trap or something else that needs to be bypassed or dealt with) it *will* be an encounter. Depending on how they do it it can even be a leveled encounter with rewards and challenges just like any other.

Depending how its defined, the encounter abilities can lead to horrible bag o' rats abuse. Particularly healing powers.

Hopefully they can recognize something this obvious and deal with it, but it is a concern until they share how they're defining and establishing encounters.


General thought on this design- this is an extremely gamist approach, and isn't going to sit well with some people. Some want the defined parameters that a round or minute based duration provides. If reinforcements arrive in a battle, is it the same encounter? Where is the cut off? 1 round later? 2? or what if they're waiting, invisible but present for the entire battle? Is it a new encounter just because the party failed to detect them?

 

[pogre]

General thought on this design- this is an extremely gamist approach, and isn't going to sit well with some people. Some want the defined parameters that a round or minute based duration provides. If reinforcements arrive in a battle, is it the same encounter? Where is the cut off? 1 round later? 2? or what if they're waiting, invisible but present for the entire battle? Is it a new encounter just because the party failed to detect them?

I think they have been pretty upfront about their gamist's approach. I also think they will expect DMs to define encounters within the context of the adventure.

 

[The Little Raven]

That door example is closer to the truth.

If you have a crappy DM that enjoys being a dick by getting you to use a limited resource (if buffs like that are per-day instead of per-encounter). No self-respecting DM I know would do that to his players. It reminds me of the DM that thinks it's his job to beat his players, not make the game fun for all involved.

If there is something special about the door (a lock, trap or something else that needs to be bypassed or dealt with) it *will* be an encounter. Depending on how they do it it can even be a leveled encounter with rewards and challenges just like any other.

Or kicking open the door is the start of an encounter with the gnolls on the other side of it. If the DM has the player use up a buff to kick open the door to an empty room, then that DM is just an asshat.

General thought on this design- this is an extremely gamist approach, and isn't going to sit well with some people.

Some people are never satisfied. It's a game, so gamist design isn't anything outrageous. Vancian magic was an incredibly gamist design, but since it's a "sacred cow," that makes it okay to most "anti-gamist" types.

Some want the defined parameters that a round or minute based duration provides.

Then, as the DM, they can determine it. Or ask their DM to do so if they're a player.

If reinforcements arrive in a battle, is it the same encounter?

If it's the same fight, why would it be a different encounter? My first fight with the orcs doesn't suddenly turn into my second fight with the orcs just because their friends show up.

Where is the cut off? 1 round later? 2? or what if they're waiting, invisible but present for the entire battle? Is it a new encounter just because the party failed to detect them?

These are questions for your DM. It's up to him to determine what counts as an encounter, when they end, and what you get for them. This is no different than the DM making an arbitrary call about your flight duration ending since it's been a few hours (even though it's only been a few minutes OOC).

 

[VirgilCaine]

That's the problem with repressed memories (in this case, the utterly lame ten-minute turn), sometimes they bubble up to the surface.

I apologize for the flashback.

Ah, it was involuntary. That's unfortunate. I know it will take me a while to get 3e D&D out of my head.

 

[Derren]

The new trend of 4E!!!!!
From the creators of "Bag of rats"!!!!!


GOBLIN ON A LEASH!!!!!!

Tired having to recast Buffs for every encounter? Not wanting to spend precious per day buffs for a single battle? A goblin on a leash is the solution.
Cast your buffs and fight the encounter as normal. And when you vanquished your foe simply start kicking the goblin. One kick every 6 seconds is enough to keep this encounter going forever. Clear out a complete dungeon with a single casting of your buffs.
And if you call now you also get a stealthmaster 5000 gag. No monster will hear the goblin anymore, giving you valuable combat advantages.

And this complete package only costs 99.95 g.

Not satisfied? Then get the Kickmonkey Mk II. Our highly educated animal handlers trained monkeys to kick the goblin on their own. This way you can scout ahead without having to worry that the goblin won't be kicked. Or apply the Kickmonkey at night and have the buffs last whole weeks or even months. And all that for just 50 g extra*.

*Bananas not included

 

[The_Fan]

Personally, I think the encounter ends when someone goes "Bah-buh-bah baah baah bah buh bah baaaaah!"

Seriously. We do it at my table all the time.

 

[IceFractal]

That's why I prefer abilities to be implicitly per-encounter, but defined as an actual length of time.

For instance, the Swordsage's manuevers are basically per-encounter. But that's not how they're defined. It takes a full-round per manuever to recover them, thus around a minute to restock after a fight. Not generally practical to recover them in battle, but after an encounter ends, recovering them is easy.


So if per-encounter abilities worked something like "usable once, then you must regain focus", and regaining focus took one minute (to recover all abilties). That would be basically per-encounter, while having a clear definition if necessary.

Buffs are a little trickier, because a duration long enought to definitely last the encounter - like five minutes - is also long enough for two short encounters close to each-other. But I don't think that'd be the end of the world; it's certainly better than "goblin on a leash".